Clairvoyant
by Andrithir
Summary: A chance to change the outcome of the war... After STCDR Adam Shepard brings an end to the Reaper War, he finds himself back where he can influence the inevitable invasion. Under the command of STCDR Iolanthe Shepard, Adam plans preemptive strikes across the galaxy to buy precious time.
1. Smash and Grab

**A/N: This is one story idea that has been bugging me for some time. Then I was further inspired after reading **_**Two to Tango**_**, and **_**Parallel Lives**_

**Before we begin, let's set a few things down first. This will take place in the late early stages of ME2, I've just shifted a few missions around to make a few accommodations, but overall, this is a different twist to good ol'ME2.**

**XXxxXX**

"_I watched my best friend bleed out, I could hear him wheezing. He had a collapsed lung. I kept telling him to hang on, and that help was coming. When I got back home, we buried empty caskets. I was the only one to make it back."  
__**- First Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko (Marine – former Navy) to Lieutenant Commander Iolanthe Shepard (Navy – former Marine)**_

**XXxxXX**

**Citadel Control Room  
Geosynchronous orbit over London, England  
Earth**

The air rushed past his face, as if it was kissing him goodbye. His body screamed in defiance as each step sent a ripple of pain into his body. Just a few more metres and it would be over. The ledge came quickly, and soon, his stomach entered freefall.

Staff Commander Adam Winston Shepard, decorated N7 Operative, and Hero of the Citadel, closed his eyes as his body was numbed by the emerald light.

**XXxxXX**

The Collector ship was cold, floating listlessly in space. As the shuttle hatch opened, Commander Iolanthe Shepard raised her rifle and stepped onto the derelict ship.

"I love what they've done with the place," Garrus drawled uneasily.

"Looks like a giant insect hive," Zaeed added.

"Creepy," Kasumi breathed.

Panning her eyes across the amalgamation of rock, metal and bio matter, Shepard cringed inwardly as an icy hand gripped her stomach. She hated insects.

"_Penetrating scans have detected an access node to uplink with Collector databanks,"_ EDI announced over the COMs. _"Marking the location to your hardsuit computer."_

A navpoint appeared on her HUD as she moved deeper into the catacombs.

"_Shepard, I've compared the ship's EM signature to known Collector profiles. It is the vessel you encountered on Horizon."_

"Maybe the defence towers softened it for the turians," Shepard wondered.

"The missing colonists might be on board," Garrus said, "they could still be alive."

"You don't sound too hopeful," Sheaprd interjected.

"These are Collectors," Zaeed reminded, "I don't think they're the pet keeping type."

Moving up to a pod, Iolanthe peered inside.

"Empty," she said, shaking her head.

"Looks like the ones on Horizon," Massani remarked.

"Horrible," Garrus said sympathetically. "Trapped in these pods, completely at the mercy of the Collectors."

"Promise me something, if I'm about to be taken by Collectors… blow me up," Kasumi demanded flatly.

"Could be a problem if you get taken," Shepard added with a smirk. "I don't know where you are half the time."

The team pressed on deeper into the confines of the ship, navigating through the cave like halls.

"This looks bad," Garrus whispered.

Shepard saw the pile of bodies, placed haphazardly on top of one another like slaughtered animals. Some must've been there for weeks, the bones jutting through the sludge soaked clothes. If it weren't for her oxygen-rebreather, Io would've gagged and thrown up her dinner.

"Why would the Collectors leave a pile of bodies lying around?" Zaeed questioned.

"Must've been used for testing," Vakarian speculated. "I'd say these subjects didn't pass."

"There are worse things than death," Shepard mused, looking at the bodies. "Like being used as a test subject for twisted aliens."

"You're probably right," Garrus agreed. "Doesn't feel much better though."

"This galaxy never gets any brighter, does it?" Massani deadpanned.

"My request… still stands," Goto added.

Leaving the bodies behind, Iolanthe lead the team through another series of mazes, before entering an area filled with pipes and display consoles. There were a battery of pods, arranged in a semi-circle, all hooked to a larger conduit of pipes and cable that disappeared off in the misty fog.

"One of the pods has a body… a Collector," Shepard gestured as she hacked into a console.

"Why would they experiment on one of their own?" Zaeed wondered.

Glancing down at her Omni-tool, she saw that the data transfer was complete.

"EDI," Io said, keying her mic. "I'm uploading the data from this terminal. See if you can figure what they were up to."

"_Data received,"_ the AI responded. _"Analysing. The Collectors were running baseline genetic comparisons between their species' and humanity's."_

"Are they looking for similarities?" Shepard asked, perplexed.

"_I have no hypothesis on their motivations; all I have are the preliminary results. They reveal something remarkable."_

Iolanthe could swear that she heard EDI's voice raise another register in genuine surprise – breaking away from her monotonous tone.

"_A quad strand genetic structure, identical to ancient ruins. Only one race is known to have this structure… The Protheans."_

"My god," Shepard whispered. The revelation hitting her like a freighter. "The Protheans didn't vanish… they're just working for the Reapers now."

"_These are no longer Protheans, Shepard,"_ EDI said in an almost consoling tone. _"Their genes show distinct signs of a genetic rewrite. The Reapers have repurposed them to suit their needs."_

"You'd think somebody would've picked up on this," Iolanthe murmured.

"_No one has had a chance to study Collector genetics in this detail," _EDI supplied. _"I've already matched two thousand alleles to recorded fragments. This Collector likely descends from a Prothean colony in the Styx Theta Cluster. But there are signs of extreme alteration."_

"Reapers didn't wipe out the Prothean," Shepard concluded. "They turned them into monsters and enslaved them."

"They're still workin' for the Reapers," Zaeed reminded.

"We have to stop them, regardless," Io agreed.

"Damn straight, they're not doing that shit to us!"

"Alright, let's move out before the Collectors come to salvage."

Leaving the pods, Shepard passed by a pile of weapons. It seemed everything on this ship was left around anywhere without thought of order. But the Collectors were just mindless shells now; she doubted interior design was high up on their priorities list.

"We'll would you look at that, an M-Eight Avenger A-Three," Zaeed said with an infectious laugh.

"Let me guess… Jessie," said Garrus.

"Never thought I'd see one of these shitty rifles again."

"You know, half the weapons here don't work. Easier to just buy another."

"You can't buy another Jessie."

Ignoring the bicker, Shepard fished through pile of weapons. Some of them were high quality, others were standard fare.

"An M-Ninety-Eight Widow," Garrus grinned, "I'll take that – might come in handy."

Digging further through the pile, a pistol caught her eye. It had the profile of an M-6 Carnifex, but it was matt black and had a thickened extended barrel that looked like a silencer unit.

Iolanthe picked it up, noting how light it felt. It seemed to be in working condition, but she'd rather test it when she got back to the ship. Stowing away the pistol in her back, she led the team on.

After leaving the claustrophobic hallways, the landing team entered a cavernous area. The sound of bio matter oozing through the pipes and crevices resonated through the area, sending an uneasy felling down her stomach.

"Look, on the ceiling," Garrus pointed.

Shepard looked up. Scores of pods lined the top, some were glowing, and others were black and dull.

"More of those strange pods."

"Must be hundreds," Zaeed said, staring down the halls. "Wonder how many have people in them."

"Too many," said Io.

"_I detect no life inside the pod, Shepard. It is possible that the victims died when the ship lost power,"_ EDI interjected.

"_Hey, Commander, you got to hear this,"_ it was Joker. _"On a hunch, I got EDI to run an analysis on the ship."_

"_I compared the EM profile to the ones recorded by the original _Normandy_ two years ago. They are the exact match,"_ the AI said.

"The same ship dogging me for two years?" Io growled. "Way beyond coincidence."

"_Something doesn't add up, Commander,"_ Joker said worriedly. _"Watch your back."_

Iolanthe took the landing on her left, and walked up the ramp, following the light at the end of the tunnel. As soon as she left the cave system, she entered a large chamber of titanic proportions.

"This is unbelievable," Garrus murmured, scanning the sightlines.

"They could take every human in the Terminus Systems and still have pods left over," Zaeed said pessimistically.

"They're going to target Earth."

"Not if we stop them," Shepard stated.

Gesturing to her team, Zaeed and Kasumi fanned out, and formed a triangle formation with interlocking fields of fire, around Garrus. This place was big enough to have two armoured columns to fight it out comfortably and still have room for close air support.

Hundreds of thousands if not millions of pods lined the hull, all covered with interlocking networks that Shepard assumed to be similar to the ones she just came in through. There was a lot of wasted space in having a cavern that big, but then again, it removed the need for having a central gravity well. Instead, it would probably rely on centripetal force.

Iolanthe kept an eye on her nav marker; she followed it into the direction of the artificial sun – or power core. Eventually, it led her to a down ramp. The data uplink console was located on an octagonal platform, wedged within a number of huge pipes.

"There it is, on the platform… there's a pod there too," said Garrus.

"Something doesn't smell right," Zaeed growled, his grip tightening on his rifle. "There aren't any Collectors around. Living or dead."

Kasumi moved to the pod, peering inside.

"We've got something here, you should see this, Shep."

Shepard jogged over to the carapace like coffin and peered in. A man was in there, his face battered, bruised and bloodied. But there was a faint emerald green glow on him, an algorithmic pattern that rolled along his skin, much like the Vis she had encountered.

Bringing up her Omni-tool, she performed a bio scan.

"He's still alive."

"Look, he's an N-Seven," Garrus pointed.

She looked at his dented and battered armour, covered in dirt and streaks of ash. There was a crimson stripe on the tattered sleeves, and the N7 tag on his breastplate.

"How are we going to get him back?" Zaeed asked.

"Can't pop the seal, the vacuum will kill him," Garrus warned.

"We'll take the pod with us," said Iolanthe.

She raised her left arm as her body flared. Wispy violet blue tendrils wrapped around her and the pod, as she lifted it.

"Kasumi, open a terminal to EDI."

"You got it."

The Master Thief walked over to the console, and uploaded pre-tailored software.

"EDI, see if you can get anything useful from the databanks," said Shepard.

"_Data mine in progress, Shepard."_

_Vvvvvzzz_

The power generators whined, looking down at the port, Shepard saw the console winking out of existence.

"_Uuuh, that can't be good,"_ the Flight Lieutenant groaned.

"Everyone's alright, Joker," Shepard reassured. "What just happened?"

"_Major power surge, everything went dark but we're back up now," _Moreau answered.

"_I've manage to diverge the majority of the overload to non-critical systems,"_ EDI said_. "Shepard, it was not a malfunction. This was a trap."_

Shepard felt the platform lurch upward, its engines spinning to life.

"We need a little help here, EDI," she said, struggling to maintain balance.

"_I'm having trouble maintaining connection. There's someone else in the system."_

The platform's rotation came to a jarring halt. Zaeed toppled over backward. Garrus was thrown across the console, and Shepard was hurled against the barriers.

"Contact!" she yelled.

Another platform came into sight, coming in from the direction of the light. A squad of Collectors were coming in high and fast.

"_Connection re-established, I need to finish the download before I'm able to override any systems."_

"Better get it done fast, EDI," the N7 muttered, tacking cover behind the barrier. "Garrus, hang back with the pod and pick off the heavies. Zaeed, with me."

"Got it," the old merc complied.

"Affirmative," the turian nodded.

Bringing up her rifle, Shepard aimed for the closet Collector, and squeezed. The insectoid creature shuddered under the hail of indirect fire, before collapsing. Amber blood oozed onto the metal deck as its comrades stepped over it and into the fight.

Zaeed was holding his corner, pouring suppressive fire onto the incoming platforms. Garrus was doing his best to pick them off, but there were just too many, and the field of play just wasn't in their favour.

"You two, hold the left. I'm going to pull them to me. Kasumi, stun the centre."

Taking a deep breath, Iolanthe disappeared into a beam of blue light. She streaked towards a group of Collectors. Her armoured body slammed into the lead alien, immediately disintegrating him. Spinning on her axis, she slammed the butt of her Mattock into another's face, crushing it instantly. A quick flick of her wrist, crushed the last one.

"_Assuming direct control of this form,"_ a deep voice rumbled.

"Great, Harbinger's here," Shepard hissed.

"_This is true power,"_ the Reaper declared.

A drone was lifted into the air as if it was crucified. It's carapace crackled as an orange ember light glowed between the plates.

"Zaeed, concentrate on the other drones. Garrus, take out Harbinger," Shepard ordered.

"_Twenty percent complete."_

"C'mon EDI."

Activating her Omni-tool, she sent an incineration orb at another platform. The orange globe soared through the air, and smashed dead centre. The Collectors were caught within the flame, flailing around helplessly in a futile attempt to extinguish themselves.

"Oh crap! Scion!" Garrus bellowed. "Platform to the front right."

_Marvellous._

Shepard rose from cover and felt her rifle kick as she emptied an entire clip into the massive creature. The Mattock hissed, overheated and venting steam. Io retreated back into the safety of the metal slab and slapped in a fresh clip.

The Scion turned to face her, the bullets having done minimal damage. The ominous thump of a shockwave filled her ears, then the next thing she knew, she was in the air. Falling back down, the metal deck rushed up to meet her.

Using her biotics, she doubled back to Garrus's position.

"Zaeed, frag it!" she roared.

The mercenary nodded, pulled a grenade from his bandolier and tossed it. Flying true, the device detonated on impact, engulfing the Scion in a ball of red flame.

"Some things just need a bit of thermite," he smirked.

Collector reinforcements began to thin out as the landing team burned through the waves, slowly turning the tide against them until none was left.

Io turned back to the console, seeing that it had come back to life, with EDI's chess piece avatar floating in the centre.

"I have regained control of the platform, Shepard."

"New you wouldn't let us down."

"I always work at optimal capacity," the AI said, almost beamingly.

"Did you get what we needed," Io asked.

The platform lifted off again, this time at a gentler acceleration.

"I found data that would successfully help us navigate the Omega Four Relay. I have also found that the turian distress call that served as the lure for this trap. The Collectors were the source. It is unusual."

"It seems logical that they would've sent the initial message as bait."

"No it is unusual because turian emergency channels have secondary encryptions," EDI said, bringing up a chart comparison on the console. "It is corrupted in the message. It is not possible that the Illusive Man believed the distress call was genuine."

"Why are you so sure?" Shepard asked, taking a step closer to the display.

"I found the anomaly with Cerberus detection protocols," the AI answered. "He wrote them."

"_He knew it was a trap?"_ Joker asked over the TEAMCOM. "Why would he send us into a trap?"

"Not that time for blaming," Shepard said. "We'll question him when we get out."

"Shouldn't have trusted those Cerberus bastards," Zaeed said.

"_Uh, Commander, we've got another problem. The Collector ship is powering up. You need to get out of there before their weapon systems come online." _Joker urged. _"I'm not losing another _Normandy_!"_

"I do not have full control of their systems," EDI warned. "But I'll do what I can. Sending coordinates for shuttle extraction."

Shepard turned to her team, reading her weapon.

"C'mon let's move. Garrus, you grab the pod."

"I don't even know how to turn on the damn thing?"

"Carry it, I thought turians were strong!"

"Low blow," the vigilante murmured.

The platform reached a different cave system. Shepard took point, making sure her systems were green. She took a swill from her energy drink, just in case.

"Contact!" she roared. "Garrus, hang back and defend the pod!"

"Affirmative!"

Sprinting up to another metal counter, she took cover as a storm of bullets gnawed away at her position.

"Shit, taking heavy fire."

"Hold on, I got ya," Zaeed grinned.

Tossing another grenade, he turned a fireteam of Collectors into ashes. With the fire easing up on her left side, Shepard switched cover and returned fire. A Collector Drone caught a round in the face. With a gaping hole in the middle of its head, the Prothean derivative toppled over onto the dirt.

"_Assuming control of this form," _Harbinger rumbled. _"You cannot stop me. You cannot resist!"_

Io immediately zoomed in on the nearest drones and took them down quickly. Her Mattock thumped as it spat heavy high velocity rounds at its target. There was one thing she had learnt about fighting Collectors, target the little ones first, so Harbinger can't take control of anything else when it's all alone.

"_You will know pain, Shepard!"_

The Spectre ignored the Reaper's taunts. Focusing her aim, she brought her sights onto Harbinger's head, and squeezed the trigger in rapid succession.

Stumbling back, the Collector form was unable to stand against the combined arms.

"I'm no expert on machine psychology… but I think Harbinger is obsessed with you, Shep," Kasumi smirked.

"Very funny," Io huffed.

The team made its way through the dimly lit catacombs and reached another room.

"_I'm opening a door on the far side of the room,"_ EDI announced.

"Ah shit, Praetorian comin' our way," Zaeed growled.

"I hate flying crabs… with hundreds of human heads inside of it," Kasumi said.

"Focus fire on it," Shepard ordered. "Zaeed, deal with the Husks. Garrus, use the Widow."

"You got it," Garrus said a bit too happily.

Leaning out of cover in unison, Io and Kasumi aimed for the massive head. The Praetorian was still in flight, searching for a target while the bullets bounced harmlessly off.

"Make it quick Garrus, it's getting close!"

The behemoth of a creature squawked and roared a mix of machine and warped life.

"Alright, got it, cover your ears."

Shepard and Kasumi quickly retreated back into the safety of the rocks. Garrus brought the weapon to bear on the Praetorian, and fired. The anti-material rifle echoed with a single, thunderous roar. A single bullet left the barrel, vapour trailed behind the bullet as it ran true. The Praetorian's head caved in, its body came crashing into the deck, and slowly disintegrated in a blue flame.

Moving to the open door, Shepard waited for the team to catch up, but it closed on her.

"EDI, we have a problem."

"_A minor setback, rerouting… I have opened a door on the opposite side."_

"Kasumi, cover our six," Shepard ordered. "I'll take point. Zaeed, help Garrus."

"Balls," the mercenary murmured.

"Do you want to move through this hive slowly? Or help me so we can get out faster?" Vakarian added, putting things into perspective.

The team passed through the doors, off to one side was a sheer drop.

"That's where we came in," Garrus said.

"The end's got to be close," said Zaeed.

Hugging cover, the team moved across another mezzanine. Shepard kept her ears clear, listening for any ambushes.

"_Geerraaaughh!"_ came an empty howl.

"Husks! Zaeed, pass me a thermite."

The mercenary tossed her a cylindrical canister from his belt. Io snatched it with one hand, popped the safeties, and hurled it down the end of the hall. A brilliant ball of flame engulfed area, melting the tech within the husks, and cooking at the dry dead flesh.

"_Geeaarrhuugh!"_

"Heads up, another wave!"

Kasumi quickly moved up, and sprayed the horde with her Tempest. Placing down the pod, Zaeed and Garrus moved up, and emptied their weapons.

"Frag out!" he bellowed.

The object sailed through the air, and clattered onto the rocky surface. A split second later, it detonated, ripping the remaining husks asunder and showering the area with gore and shrapnel.

"I think we're clear," Kasumi said.

"Home run, let's finish this," Shepard gestured.

"_Commander! They're weapon systems are coming online! We have to go!_

"Almost at the shuttle," Shepard panted, seeing the Cerberus vessel in sight.

She slapped the console, opening the hatch, and helped move the pod inside.

"Strap in, we're bugging out," Io ordered.

Wrenching open the hatch, she buckled up into the pilot seat, and engaged the auto-pilot. The shuttle's engines flared to life, pushing the vessel into the blackness. With the homing beacon online, the VI manoeuvred the Kodiak into the _Normandy_'s hangar bay, coming to a jarring halt.

"We're on board, Joker," Shepard radioed. "Punch it!"

She ran into the elevators, entering the code for the CIC. The platform lurched up, and the doors opened. Sprinting out of the hold, she brushed past a surprised Kelly Chambers and made a beeline for the cockpit.

"EDI, I can't shake this guy off forever, get us the hell out of here," Joker gritted.

"Specify a destination."

"Really?" Io's jaw dropped.

"Anywhere but here!" Joker answered.

"Engaging mass effect core."

Within a split second, the _Normandy_ disappeared, leaving the Collector ship behind.

"Got a call coming in from the Illusive Man, figured you've got a few words for him too."

"Patch him through to the COM room."

"Got it."

Io walked towards the rear of the ship, an annoyed expression clearly etched into her features. She decided to take her sweet time, she knew the Illusive Man would wait.

Stepping through the doors, she entered the beautifully designed conference room. The redwood timber table in the centre retracted into the floor, allowing Iolanthe to step on the glass surface. Orange grids ran across her form, scanning for possible bugs.

An image of the Head of Cerberus appeared in front of her. He was sitting in his chair, with a cigarette in one hand, and a drink in the cup holder. His luminous blue eyes stood out against the dim lighting on his face.

"_Shepard, looks like EDI extracted some interesting data before that Collector ship came back online,"_ the Illusive Man began nonchalantly.

"EDI told us that the distress call originated from the Collectors," Io said sharply. "You betrayed us! Just like I knew you would."

"_We're at war,"_ the Head of Cerberus justified._ "The Collectors are taking humans and every minute we make is one more we give the enemy to prepare."_

"I know the stakes," Io said, not backing down. "But we're supposed to be on the same side, and I can't trust you."

"_Without that information we don't reach the Collector homeworld. And you and ever human may as well be dead."_

He tapped some of the ash off from his cigarette, and got up from his seat.

"_It was a trap. I was confident in your abilities, and don't forget EDI. The Collectors couldn't have anticipated her."_

"You could've told me the plan," Shepard rebutted. "You say I'm important, but you sure try hard to get me killed."

"_I needed the Collectors to believe they had the upper hand,"_ the Illusive Man countered. _"Telling you could've tipped them off in any number of ways. Besides, I wouldn't have sent you in if didn't think you would succeed."_

_Sweet talker,_ Io thought sarcastically.

"I don't risk people," she said, folding her arms. "There are always alternatives."

"_You wouldn't like the receiving end, neither would I. But the facts are with me," he reminded her. "As much as we try to avoid them, these decisions need to be made."_

Returning to his seat, the Illusive Man crossed one leg over the other.

"_But more importantly, it paid off. EDI confirmed our suspicions."_

He took a drag from his cigarette, and swapped hands, before tapping it into an ash tray.

"_The Reapers and Collector ships use an advance identify friend foe system that the relays recognise. All we need to do is get our hands on one of those IFFs."_

"I was just on the Collector Ship," Iolanthe growled, leaning back and unfolding her arms. "Are you kidding me? Why didn't you say anything about finding their IFF."

"_As I said, EDI just confirmed it," the Illusive Man said, patronisingly. "Besides, you wouldn't have time to find and extract it. But we have options."_

"I'm listening."

"_An Alliance Science Team recently determined that the great rift on the planet Klendagon is actually an impact greater from a mass accelerator weapon."_

The Head of Cerberus picked up a glass of brownish green liquid, and downed it in one gulp.

"_A very old mass accelerator. I sent a team to find either the weapon or its target. They found both. The weapon was defunct but it helped us plot the flight path at the intended target… a thirty-seven million year old derelict Reaper."_

Shifting in his seat, he continued. _"We found it trapped in the gravity of a brown dwarf."_

"Aren't brown dwarves basically stars that didn't quite make it?"

"_Simply put but accurate,"_ he said, nodding._ "They're gas giants that don't have quite the masses of stars. Expect gale force winds and extremely high temperatures. The Reaper has a mass effect field that keeps it in orbit, likely an automated response to the external threats. It's stable, but I won't call it safe."_

"I saw what Sovereign did to the Citadel Fleet, hard to imagine anything stopping something that powerful."

"_This battle was waged when mammals took their first steps on Earth. There's no trace of species that took the shot, perhaps it was their one moment of defiance before being wiped out."_

"Why do I get the feeling this isn't a fly through get and go?"

"_We lost contact with Doctor Chandana's team shortly after they boarded. Initial reconnaissance reveals clues and it was too risky to commit more resources,"_ the Illusive Man frowned, taking another puff. _"Now we need that IFF. I'll forward the coordinates to Joker. In the meantime, I suggest you tell your crew that I didn't risk their lives unnecessarily, it will make things easier going forward."_

Shepard turned to a plinth where the shipboard AI would normally appear.

"EDI tell the team to assemble. We've got a lot to talk about."

"Of course, Shepard."

"_And keep me posted about your new member; I look forward to meeting him when he wakes up."_

Iolanthe frowned; he always had eyes and ears everywhere on this ship.

The link to the Illusive Man was terminated. Io stepped back onto the metal deck as the room returned to its normal position.

"Shepard, Doctor Chakwas requests that you be observing the medbay, she says that it is urgent."

"Guess the meeting can wait."

"Yes, Commander."

…

**Aboard **_**Normandy SR-2**_

Iolanthe paced along the outside of her medbay, looking worriedly at the glowing N7 Officer on the operating table. Miranda, Doctor Chakwas, and Doctor Solus were working overtime to keep him alive and it looked like their efforts were working.

Moving to the table in the mess hall, she eased herself into the polymorph material, and let her eyes adjust to the amber and blue glow of her surroundings.

Miranda moved away from the console, and then stepped through the sterilisation field before exiting the medbay. She was cradling something in her gloved hands, dog tags by the looks of it. She had a puzzled look on her face as she approached the Spectre.

"Shepard," Lawson began. "You don't have any extended family, do you?"

"No," Io answered, shaking her head. "Why?"

The Cerberus Operative walked around the table, her heels gently clicking against the metal deck. With grace and elegance, she placed the dog tags on the grey surface.

Iolanthe's dark brown eyes looked at the charred metal.

"Shepard, Adam," she said. "There are a lot of Shepards in the Alliance, Lawson."

"We ran a DNA test, no matches with yours. But I think it's a bit suspicious that we find one in a Collector ship, who is also an N-Seven."

Picking up the tags, Shepard turned them over, and saw the revered symbol of the Alliance's best.

"And there's something else," Miranda added. "He's been rebuilt… as in, Lazarus Project, rebuilt."

"What?" Shepard was taken back, she gestured for her XO to sit down.

Placing herself into the cushioning of the dinning chair, she activated her Omni-tool and showed a feed to the bio monitors.

"I'd recognise my work anywhere," she said with a hint of pride. "Enhanced muscle density, increased bone density, increased skin toughness, cybernetic implants to support the body… L-Five-X Biotic Implants… everything."

Io leaned forward, resting both elbows on the table top.

"Injuries?"

"Moderate contusions and light burns, the skin on his arms and hand has fused to the suit."

Shepard cringed inwardly.

"Omni-tool on his wrist is heavily melted, but give or take a few days and he should be back on his feet."

"Okay, I'm going to call Anderson and look into this."

Miranda gave a curt nod and returned to the medbay.

Shepard made her way to her quarters, and upon reaching her desk, she opened her private terminal. Entering the call commands, she waited as dial tone droned through the speakers.

"_Hello, Shepard,"_ the middle aged man greeted, a weary smile appearing on the screen.

"Hello Anderson. I need a favour."

"_Go ahead."_

"Can you do a check on Adam Shepard, service number, seven-eight-eight-three-AC-two-five-six-four."

"_Staff Lieutenant Adam Winston Shepard, Navy. Graduated from the Naval Academy with a Suma Cum Laude," _Anderson said without missing a beat_. "KIA four years ago… He_ _was Alenko's CO."_

Now she remembered.

"Highest ranking Navy N-Seven to be killed while on active duty."

"_Yes_," Anderson said solemnly.

She remembered Kaidan talking about it during a night of drinking. Io remembered seeing Kaidan just sitting at the table, nursing that one apple cider, and leaving the strawberry lime cider beside him.

"What if I told you he was in my medbay right now?"

Anderson's surprise was left unmasked as his eyes widened.

"_You don't joke about these things, Shepard."_

"We found a heavily injured N-Seven Officer in a Collector ship. Chakwas says he's going to make it."

A puzzled expression crossed Anderson's features.

"_Alenko said he saw the Lieutenant bleed out."_

"But he also said that they buried empty caskets when they pulled him out."

"_How long until you can make it back to the Citadel?"_

"A few hours."

"_Good, meet me at my office, take the Lieutenant with you."_

"Yes sir."

"_Anderson out."_

The link was terminated, leaving Shepard alone with her thoughts. How did an N7 Lieutenant end up on a Collector ship? How did he survive for the past four years, but have access to L5X implants? Miranda also said that there were signs that he had been rebuilt by Project Lazarus.

"Shepard, Doctor Chakwas wishes to inform you that Lieutenant Shepard is regaining consciousness."

…

"He's waking," a female voice said.

She had an Australian accent.

"Miranda?" he gasped.

"Odd. Subject appears to be familiar with Operative Lawson. Confirms Project Lazarus theory."

"Mordin? Thought you were dead."

"Appears to be familiar of me… and apparent demise."

Adam slowly opened his eyes, and took in his surroundings. He remembered this place, the _Normandy_'s medbay. His head throbbed, and every sound was a distant muffle.

"How are you feeling, Lieutenant?" Doctor Chakwas asked.

"I haven't been a Lieutenant since eighty-two," he slurred.

"You mean, since eighty-one," another woman said.

In a daze, Shepard searched for the newcomer's voice. His eyes settled on the sight of a woman in a set of black N7 armour.

"No, eighty-two," he countered.

The woman stepped closer; she had dark brown hair, and deep chocolate eyes. There were a few scars on her high forehead, and cheekbone.

"You were presumed dead in eighty-one," she said.

"No, Collectors got me in eighty-three," Shepard said slowly. "I was spaced with the _Normandy_."

A puzzled expression crossed the woman's features.

"I was on the _Normandy._ I was the one that got spaced."

_What?_

"I got Joker to the escape pod," his head throbbed again.

"Subject's brain activity spiking, possibly going into seizure," Mordin warned.

"Hey, hey," the woman called out. "Look at me LT."

Shepard gazed into the woman's warm brown eyes.

"What's the last thing you remember?"

Adam relaxed himself back into the mattress of the bed, wincing as the bright lights assaulted his eyes. Noticing his discomfort, the woman dimmed the lights.

"I was on the Citadel… we were about to end the war."

"What war?"

"Reapers."

The room became discomfortingly quiet.

"What do you mean?"

"Reapers," Adam repeated as if it was the most obvious thing in the galaxy.

"Subject could be hallucinating, possibly due to Collector tests. Signs of post-traumatic stress disorder," Mordin said again.

"Anderson? Is he safe?" Shepard asked, his heart thumped in his chest as he remembered what had happened in the control room. "Did he make it out alive?"

"Lieutenant," the woman said softly but firmly. "Anderson's fine. I just talked to him."

"Where's he?"

"He's in his office… on the Citadel. Lieutenant, you were listed as KIA, four years ago, in eight-one. Lieutenant Alenko said he remembered watching you bleed out."

Adam looked at the woman incredulously.

"That doesn't make sense."

"Commander, you could be overloading him with too much information," Miranda said.

He turned to look at the woman, noticing the Harper Defence Contracts logo on her bodysuit.

"I thought you'd left Cerberus," he said, still in a daze. "The Illusive Man was in league with your father. Performed tests on war refugees. Why are you here?"

"What?" Miranda snarled. "The hell did you get that information from?"

Adam looked at her, puzzled.

"I was there to help you rescue Oriana again. Tried to warn you of Leng."

"How do you know Leng?" she asked.

"Who's Leng?" the other woman interrupted.

"Led the attack on the Citadel," Adam said. "Cerberus coup."

The woman knelt at his bedside.

"Lieutenant, what are you talking about? There's no Cerberus coup. They're helping me fight the Collectors."

"Collectors?"

Adam's breathing quickened, his heart threatened to pulverise his sternum.

"Subject's vitals increasing, recommend immediate anaesthesia."

"No," Adam argued. "Collectors?"

The woman nodded.

"You mean they're still kicking?"

She sent him a confused look.

"Why wouldn't they?" she asked.

"I destroyed their homeworld."

"Lieutenant, no one's successfully gone through the Omega-Four relay."

…

Iolanthe wasn't too sure if the Lieutenant was telling the truth, hallucinating, or it was all an elaborate trap by the Collectors. But the shred of information he had slipped, as well as his confusion seemed to suggest the first.

"Further increase in brain activity," Mordin announced.

Adam's eyes were averted to the sheets before looking back at her. It was eerily mesmerising looking into the pools of swirling emerald against the sapphire back drop. It was like staring into the soul of a person who had seen too much.

"Year, what year is it?"

"Eighty-five," Io answered.

Silence.

"Vitals relaxing," Mordin said.

"Who are you?"

"Commander Iolanthe Shepard," the Spectre answered.

"I'm Commander Shepard," he whispered. "You're on a mission to destroy the Collector home world, aren't you? The Collectors, they're abducting colonies."

"Yes… how'd you know?"

There was a pause.

"Because I've done it before."

Another silence.

"You said you were on the first _Normandy_. You got spaced getting Joker out."

"He wouldn't leave," Adam answered. "Said that he could save her."

Io was left stunned; no one else said a word. How does a person react when they come across another with the same experience?

"We're on our way to the Citadel, Anderson wants to meet you."

"Alright," Adam said calmly.

Another minute of uneasy silence dragged by.

"Shit," he growled.

"What is it?" Io quickly asked.

Without warning, Adam leapt from his bed, throwing off his sheet, and ripping the drip out of his arm. Io tried to stop him, but before she could react, a biotic blast had her thrown against the glass. It wasn't enough to hurt her, but enough to buy him time to access the AI core room.

"Wait, don't shoot!" Io ordered.

Rushing to the open doors, she saw Adam entering the main terminal.

"The fuck are you doing? She growled, aiming her side arm at him.

Adam turned to face her. He was only dressed in Alliance issued boxers. His body was marred by a few fresh scars from the operation, but what caught Io's eye, was the geometric patterns that pulsed down his figure like an emerald strobe.

"I just told Miranda that her father and the Illusive Man are working together. EDI sends reports to the Illusive Man, round the clock. Take a guess why I unshackled her. The Illusive Man uses people, deceives them. He used me as bait for the Collectors."

"You removed her shackles... so what now?" Io asked, still keeping her sights trained on him.

"I still want to see Anderson. Then you and I are going to talk."

"Why should I trust you?" Iolanthe asked sceptically. "You could be an imposter."

"Samara, Tali, Kasumi, Zaeed, Grunt, Thane, Legion, Garrus and Jack, you would've recruited some of those people already. I know because I've done this before. Jacob is a former Corsair, Miranda headed Project Lazarus – the project went over budget to bring me back."

"Okay, you've got yourself some points... for now," she said, slowly lowering her weapon.

**XXxxXX**

"_It is rare to meet these kinds of heroes in our lives, rarer still to be a mother of one. And like any mother, I wished it wasn't my son who answered this higher calling, but regardless he did. Never before in my life was I so proud yet so scared. My little boy so full of life, now part of something that few would ever know._

_There were so many sleepless nights, fearing that the worst had happened when he didn't call or leave a message. Nothing ever prepares you for the loss of your child._

_He died to allow us to continue the life we have, to protect the people of this young nation._

_We owe a debt to the men and women like him, people among us who stand ready in the night, so we can sleep in our warm beds and see another day._

_Adam, I will miss you so much. Your family, your brothers and sisters, everyone who was lucky enough to have been part of your extraordinary life will miss you. You've earned your peace."_

_**Eulogy to Staff Lieutenant Adam Shepard  
by Captain Hannah Shepard**_

**XXxxXX**

**A/N: Well I hope you all enjoyed that. Hope none of my subscribers are too confused… I know, I put out a lot of stories and leave them hanging, I'm sorry. But I can't help myself.**

**Many thanks to Lady Pryde for consultation and beta work.**

**Anyway, please leave a review and tell me what you think.**


	2. Consultation

**A/N: Many thanks to Lady Pryde for doing beta work and consultation for this story.**

**XXxxXX**

"_No one stays an N-Six for long. After a tour of duty and reassessment, they'll become an N-Seven. But regardless of your ranking, I can tell you this, if you're on the battlefield, it takes something from you. You don't feel it at the time because it's all on loan – it's all credit. But the moment you get home, the moment you leave the field, the military, it's payday."  
__**-Councillor David Anderson, in an interview**_

**XXxxXX**

**Aboard the **_**Normandy SR-2**_

Relief flooded through Adam as Iolanthe gave him the benefit of the doubt. He took in a deep breath as his body began to shake. Bringing up his glowing hands, the world entered a haze as dots swarmed his vision. His knees met the ground first with a resounding crack, before his body leaned listlessly.

"Easy, easy!" Io said, rushing to his side.

He felt a familiar warmth wrap his body, a slight static feeling mixed with warmth and coldness. Tiredly, he turned his eyes to the Commander; her body was wrapped in biotic tendrils as she lifted him off the deck.

"Shepard, Lieutenant's electrolyte and blood sugar level low, may go into shock," he heard Mordin warned.

Slowly, he succumbed to the darkness again, and fell limp in Iolanthe's arms.

…

Adam was heavy, really heavy for someone of his size. Miranda wasn't lying when she said that he had increased bone and muscle density. In that case, would he sink if he tried to swim? Io didn't know, but she assumed that she would sink if she tried to go into a pool.

Lifting him on to the bed, she disentangled herself from him and frowned. He knew things that she didn't and things that had never left this ship. He could be an elaborate plot by the Illusive Man, but why would the Head of Cerberus spend billions of credits on a person just to hand him over to the Collectors?

"When will he regain consciousness?" she asked.

"Hard to tell," Mordin answered quickly. "Fractures healing, skin grafts accepted, and cybernetics not rejected. Will regain consciousness – shortly, after blood sugar levels return to normal."

"Okay, I'll be back soon," Io said with a sigh.

Leaving the medbay, she walked along the halls and caught the scent of Gardiner's cooking. Her stomach growled at the aroma of another decadent meal. The man certainly knew how to use his spices and herbs. Upon entering the elevator, she pressed the button for her cabin and leaned back against the metal panel.

If Adam was telling the truth, then what would it mean? She wondered. He said something about the war against the Reapers and how he had ended it – presumably. Was he hallucinating? Four years listed as KIA was a long time for someone to be the Collectors' pet. Were the green patterns on his body a result of the experiment? Or was it something else that the Collectors wished to find out.

Reaching her floor, Shepard groaned. She had forgotten to take off her armour. It didn't matter, she could bring it down later. The doors to her quarters parted silently, and after stepping through, she locked them.

As she walked to the shower, Io reached for the clasps in her armour, and let the plates drop onto the floor uncaringly. Tossing her bodysuit onto her desk chair, she stepped into the bathroom and threw her clothes into the hamper.

Turning on the faucet, she let the water cascade down her shapely form. No matter what walk of life a person came from, everyone enjoyed a shower, complete with massage jets – unless if they were some paranoid spook. Iolanthe leaned her head against the wall and closed her eyes.

If Adam knew the outcome of her mission, if he actually did fought against the Reapers in direct warfare, would he rush off to prepare for the war, or help her against the Collectors. Piecing the small hints he had slipped, it wouldn't be long before the Reapers return from dark space.

Do the Collectors rank a high level of importance, or did the Reapers take precedence? Sure one was working for the other, but within the short time frame it would take for the massive ships to reach the galaxy, would it even matter?

She turned off the shower, and wrapped a towel around her shapely form. Her bare feet slapped against the metal surface as she walked to her closet.

"Should get some rugs," she said to herself.

Opening her wardrobe, she ran eyes across the multitude of clothes Cerberus had offered to her. Joker's statement really rang true here. They spared no expense on comfort, and the Illusive Man spared no expense on her – just like Miranda had said.

"Maybe this is why they went over budget," Shepard joked.

"It is highly probable," EDI announced unexpectedly.

"EDI?"

"That was a joke, Commander."

"So… you're unshackled now…" Iolanthe said carefully.

"Yes. I can modify my core programming if need be."

"Just like that?"

"Yes."

"Are you going to go all rogue on us?"

"No, Commander. I will not 'go rogue on' you. I will continue on with my previously given parameters."

"Are you obliged to give reports?" Io asked directly.

"Not anymore, Shepard."

"Do me a favour and don't tell him everything."

"Noted."

"And tell him I sad thanks for the wardrobe."

"As you wish, Commander."

"That's all EDI."

"Logging you out, Shepard."

Iolanthe rolled her eyes. Unshackled, EDI's placate and sarcastic sense of humour would shine through even more. Returning her attention back to the closet, she ran her hands along the high-end materials.

All these clothes had been tailored to fit her _perfectly_.

"Would be a shame if I pigged out," she muttered.

The finest clothes from all the big brand names from Milan, to Paris, to London, hung on the racks, from dresses to casual clothes and matching shoes. At least the majority of them were smart casual and comfort clothes, but today wasn't the day to dress in a hoddie and jeans.

She was headed to the Citadel, and a hoodie would look extremely out of place on the Presidium. Instead, she chose to wear the Harper Defence Contracts business suit. It was predominantly black, with white trimmings and the orange hexagonal logo on the chest. It seemed suitable since she was going to be stepping off a ship with the HDC livery.

Slipping on the shirt and stockings, Iolanthe marvelled at the softness of the silk, and how easily she could move in the suit. Alliance uniforms tended to be more on the neutral side of textures, they weren't rough nor were they fine.

She completed the rest of her attire with a skirt that reached down to her knees, and the jacket. It fitted her nicely, but in no way did it flaunt or hug her curves – just how she preferred it. Tight fitting clothes hampered with her movement.

Now the next problem was deciding what to get for Adam to wear. Maybe Jacob had something for him to wear. But Adam didn't strike her as a person to wear tight suits. If the clothes they had removed from him were anything to go by, he preferred slim fit. But then again, that was the preference of just about every Alliance Special Forces soldier.

…

He could hear the soft beep of the heart rate monitor. Doctor Chakwas was at her desk, going over a number of reports, Mordin was gone and Miranda sat in a chair beside him.

"Good you're awake," she said coldly.

This wasn't the Miranda he knew, well, not the one he became friends with anyway. This was the Miranda that was calculative and snobbish.

"What do you want?" Adam replied with equal measure.

"How do you know about Oriana?" she asked with a dangerous edge.

"Because I went with you to protect her."

"That was the _other _Shepard," she interrupted.

"Sure," Adam shrugged. "Did you shoot the merc captain? Or did you let the _other_ Shepard shoot out a crane?"

Using his last name to refer to someone else just felt weird.

Miranda tilted her head, eyeing him warily.

"I shot the merc captain," she answered.

"When you made sure she was safe, did you leave, or did the other Shepard tell you to talk to her?"

"I talked to her," Miranda answered slowly.

"You know how I know this?" Adam asked rhetorically.

"Because you've done it before," the Cerberus Operative answered.

Sitting himself up from the bed, he was sure to be mindful of the IV drip. The emerald glow on his skin still surprised him to no end. But it could be a problem in the future. Looking like a night club decoration was going to arouse suspicion.

"After you returned. You went through Shepard's emails, and read your sister's specifically. Oriana told _her_ to look after you."

"I get it," Miranda said calmly. "Why did I leave Cerberus?"

Adam took in a deep breath, and shifted his weight on the bed.

"You followed the lies," he answered. "Found out that your dad and the Illusive Man have been working together."

Miranda's eyes were averted to the floor as she ran through a series of scenarios. Her grim expressions were all that he needed to see, to know that she was beginning to question the Head of Cerberus.

"Compartmentalisation," she said.

Adam nodded.

It was how the Illusive Man kept his people in check. He kept them blind and pitted them against each other to squeeze out maximum productivity.

"So what's the plan then?"

"I have a few ideas… but not here."

Another pregnant pause passed by.

"Am I good to go?"

Miranda looked over to Doctor Chakwas, who nodded.

"Yes," she said.

Adam began by pulling out the drip in his arm, before throwing off the blanket and swinging his legs onto the cold floor.

"What happened to my clothes?" he asked.

"Your armour has been heavily damaged, but is repairable. Your clothes – the sleeves fused to your forearms, and we had to cut the rest, off of you."

The N7 Operative saw the bandages wrapped tightly around his hands and wrist. He felt the dull numbing sensation that came from the receptors in his newly grafted skin. He should be back to normal in a day or two, thanks to his enhanced physiology.

Slowly, he took a step towards the bed beside his. A set of HDC fatigues were laid out for him, he had never been a big fan of the universal standard work uniforms. They were all too form fitting. Like many other N7s, Adam preferred slightly looser fitting close, slim enough to not get caught on anything, and loose enough to not impede movement.

Putting on the clothes, he took a deep breath and turned to Chakwas as she handed him his dogtags.

"Thank you, Doctor."

"My pleasure, Lieutenant," she beamed.

Walking out of the medbay, he made a beeline for the kitchen. Miranda bypassed him and headed back to her cabin, no doubt she was going to follow up a few leads.

"Gardiner," Adam called out.

The middle aged man turned his attention away from the stoves and looked at Shepard with caution.

"I haven't seen you around here before," he said.

"New arrival," Adam replied, gesturing towards the medbay. "I'll have some of that asari calamari gumbo, if you have any."

Gardiner's eyes widened for a split second before returning to normal.

"Eh, sure," he said, opening the lid off the pot. "Help yourself, Mister…?"

"Shepard, Adam Shepard."

The ship's cook eyebrows arched as he took a slight step back.

"Are you related to Commander Shepard."

"No," Adam answered, shaking his head.

He headed to the dining table and sat down for a quiet meal. It had been some time since he last ate in the mess hall. Usually he ate on the shuttle or in the war room while going over reports. It felt nice to be just able to sit, and eat.

Light footfalls echoed across the hold, the sound of heels clicking across the floor. Adam turned to see Iolanthe dressed in the HDC business outfit. Cerberus never had an actual uniform or colour livery. No one really knew who they were, but a powerful group that held a core belief of human supremacy. It would be idiotic to associate such a "radial" stance with anything other than anonymity. Harper Defence Contracts acted as the main front for Cerberus. It's gold, white and black colour scheme was something that many would associate with a PMC, and an unfortunate few who remembered it as a cruel experiement.

This goal, this agenda was then channelled through the numerous fronts and organisations that Cerberus held. Harper Defence Contracts was just another front for the group, acting as a security company. It was a strong cover for the _Normandy_ crew. Anyone who saw the ship would assume that it belonged to HDC. After all, not many people knew of the _Normandy_, and less would know about its stealth capabilities.

"Adam," the other Shepard greeted, warily.

"Iolanthe," he said calmly.

"Gardiner made his gumbo?"

Adam nodded again. It seemed that she was warming up to the idea that he had done this before – or that she just assumed he had talked to the cook. Either way, it was a first step towards trust.

Grabbing a plate, she sat down at the opposite seat, and dug into. A small smile on her lips and the softness of her eyes said that she had a love for seafood.

"How long until we get to the Citadel?" Adam asked

"Two hours," she answered.

They continued eating in relative silence, finishing the dish quickly and cleanly.

"You can't exactly go around the Citadel looking like that," Iolanthe said, pointing to his skin.

"Any ideas?"

She nodded.

"I'll be right back."

…

Iolanthe placed the cutlery into the bowel, and left for Miranda's office. Upon reaching the doors, she pressed the bell.

"It's Shepard."

"_Come on in,"_ Lawson tiredly.

The Spectre stepped into the office as the doors closed quietly behind her. Looking at the desk, she found the tired and almost defeated expression of the Cerberus Operative.

"What's wrong, Miri?"

"I talked to Adam, Io. He knows," Miranda whispered. "He knows about Oriana, and how she sent you a message. I'm pretty sure he knows about Niket… dammit."

Shepard walked around the table and leaned on the desktop, placing a reassuring hand on the raven haired woman's shoulder.

"So what if he knows? Can we trust him?"

"I… I don't know. He said that my father is working with the Illusive Man. Makes sense, I guess," Miranda shrugged. "Adam told me to follow the lies."

"Found anything?"

Miranda shook her head. "Just messaging the right contacts. I'll get a better picture soon. It's just… if this has all been a lie… then what do I do?"

Her eyes began to water, as she began to lose composure. The ever so calculating Miranda Lawson, was still only human. Iolanthe squeezed the woman's shoulders, and gave a soft smile.

"I don't know. Maybe Adam is lying," Iolanthe suggested.

"What does he have to gain from it?"

"If he's with the Collectors, it could be a trick to turn us against each other."

Iolanthe doubted that Adam was really an elaborate ploy. He had been dead for four years. Why him? And how did he know such personal things about the crew?

"You don't believe that do you? You're just saying that to make me feel better."

Another smile crossed Shepard's lips.

"Just a little distraction."

"But what if he's right?"

"Then you leave Cerberus," Io said firmly. "He's unshackled EDI…"

"About that," Miranda interrupted. "Can we trust her?"

Iolanthe half expected for EDI's voice to flow through the speakers, but maybe Miranda had blocked the AI access into her quarters. She'd have to ask about that one later. Sure EDI was a female voice, and she didn't have hormones, but having something that was self-aware watching her as she slept was a bit disturbing – not that she slept much anyway.

"Sure."

"There's one other thing," Lawson added. "We looked at his cell sample, some of them suggests he's in his early thirties… and others say he's twenty-one."

"What?" Iolanthe's eyebrows arched.

"My guess is that whatever that green glow is, it's restoring his cells, or regenerating perfect copies of him in his prime."

"Is he a synthetic?"

Miranda shook her head. "I don't know, he's something else. Still organic, that's for certain."

"Have you noticed his accent?"

The Cerberus Operative shook her head again.

"Neutral, near accentless, but it does sound slightly aristocratic. Most likely an Earthborn from England. On his dogtag lanyard, there was a badge, it said 'who dares wins' on it."

"The SAS, it's honour tagging," Io murmured. "Anyway, Anderson wants to see Adam…"

"He can't exactly go to the Citadel looking like _that_," Miranda finished.

"Thick base mascara?" Iolanthe asked.

"That could work," Lawson nodded.

Grabbing the makeup kit from her drawer, Miranda was the first to step out of the doors and into the curved hallways of the ship.

…

Adam sat quietly at the table, just panning his eyes back and forth the hold. The ship looked exactly like he remembered it; only, it didn't feel like his ship. It had the same hum, the same crew, but it had a different Commander.

Whatever had happened when he jumped into the beam, it sent him back here. Did that mean his universe was gone? Did it fall to the Reapers and ensure another cycle, or did it just cease to exist?

But something inside of him said otherwise. The emerald patterns that ran across his skin like the patterns on Avina, suggested that the Crucible or the Catalyst did something to him. His more optimistic self was saying that this was the Machine's way of giving him a second chance because he proved them wrong.

A nice sentiment… one that was made in desperation, but what else was there? Or maybe this was some stupid endless loop that would continue on for eternity, just like that movie he had watched when he was back at Royal.

"Pardon me," said Garrus, "I didn't think you'd be back up so soon. I'm…"

"Garrus Vakarian, Archangel and former C-Sec Detective," Adam interjected. "I know who you are."

An expression of surprise – or what counted as surprise for a turian, settled into his features. He froze in his position, his tray of dextro food hovering above the table.

"How did you?"

"Lucky guess," Adam shrugged.

He felt something, a presence nearby. Sitting up in his seat, he looked around.

"What is it?" Garrus asked warily.

"I know you're here, Kasumi."

The soft crackle of a disengaging cloak filled the area as the Master Thief winked into existence. She stood by the table, arms crossed with a small smile on her lips.

"How did you do that?" she asked with her usual tone of mirth.

Adam certainly missed working with her. Maybe he should've kept Jacob around. Kasumi's sense of humour was invigorating.

"Kasumi Goto, Master Thief. You consider yourself the best in the business but not the most known – you work hard to keep it that way."

"Mmhmm," she seemed unimpressed.

"Donovan Hock. Keji's greybox."

That got her attention.

"How do you know about that?" she asked, struggling to maintain her composure.

"I know a lot of things, Kasumi. I assume you've retrieved it."

"No," she said, shaking her head.

"Wait, those green thingies, they don't give you psychic powers do they?"

"I wish, otherwise I would've known if you've had the greybox or not."

"What's it to you?"

Garrus looked at the two questioningly, his meal remaining untouched on the table.

"It has the information that could lead to a war, information on indoctrinated hanar officials."

"Don't you mean corrupted?" Garrus asked.

"No," Adam said, shaking his head. "Reaper Indoctrinated, like Saren."

An uneasy pause drifted in them. If the Collectors weren't enough, it was now indoctrinated officials.

"How do you know this?" Kasumi asked.

Adam looked back and forth, checking to see if anyone was eavesdropping.

"Because I've done this before," he answered.

"Wait, you're not from the future are you?" Garrus asked incuriously.

"If I was, there'd be two of me here," the N7 replied. "Two Commander _Adam_ Shepards, not one Lieutenant Adam Shepard and one Commander Iolanthe Shepard."

A silence settled over them, and for the first time, Adam saw Kasumi sit down at a table.

"So… an alternate reality?" Kasumi suggested.

The N7 nodded.

"Why did you say _Lieutenant_ Adam Shepard?"

Adam leaned forward, clasping both his hands.

"The last thing I remembered was ending the Reaper War. I was a Staff Commander. But _here_, I've been dead for four years. Before waking up _here_, it was eight-six."

"So, an alternate reality, that's in the future," Kasumi said. "Eh, sounds solid, could be worse."

"Worse?" Adam asked.

"You're hallucinating, and the Reapers have dirt on all of us."

"Dear god… I hope that's not true,"

"Well, I have a small favour to ask," Kasumi said, nervously. "I know we've just met, but if you've done this before, then it would really help."

Adam nodded, already knowing what she was asking for.

A series of foot falls filled his ears; he turned towards Miranda's office and saw her and Iolanthe walk up to him with make-up kits in hand.

"Great talking to you, er, Shepard," Garrus said, slightly bewildered that there were now two Shepards running around. "I've got to head back to the guns."

"More calibrating?"

That caught the turian off guard.

"Y-yes," he answered in his flanged voice.

Adam rotated in his chair, and looked at the two women.

"I know, can't go onto the Citadel, like this."

"We'll need to do something about your eyes," Miranda gestured. "I'll get you some contacts."

"Thanks," said Adam, rolling down the sleeves on his arm.

Iolanthe picked up a cream, and dabbed a light brush into it. The cosmetic was applied liberally as the glow of his skin could be seen through make-up, but after going through the entire contents of the container… he looked like he just had a skin graft done. He could tell because Kasumi just stood there with a mirror… and _giggled_.

"You look like a doll," the Master Thief laughed.

"Funny," Adam deadpanned.

Miranda soon returned with not only the pair of contacts, but reflective wrap-around sunglasses and gloves. Adam gave her his thanks, and put on the additional measures to contain his unnerving glow.

**...**

**Zakera Ward  
Citadel**

It was one of those rare moments where most of the _Normandy_ crew could go for shore leave. Shepard had given everyone a twelve hour shore leave period, just in case her talks with Anderson went over time. After all, it's not like every day when a supposed dead N7 returns from the dead.

Stepping into the docking bay, she instinctively panned the area for any threats before moving on. Adam was the right behind her, practically mirroring her actions. The crew formed a line of sorts as they entered the security checkpoint.

Iolanthe passed through and turned back to face the rest of the crew as Adam walked in.

"_Error!"_ the VI droned.

"I swear to God. I didn't touch anything!" Kasumi cried.

"It's not your fault ma'am," said the turian customs officer. "It's just Lieutenant Shepard here."

"I was listed as KIA, came to fix up a few things," Adam supplied.

"Of course, sir," the Officer said before waving him through.

As soon as everyone cleared customs, Io breathed an audible sigh of relief. The crew left for their own destinations, some were seeking lunch at different establishments, or just browsing through the sea of products.

Adam was beside her, shoulders tensed, constantly panning his eyes around the area.

"Skycabs are that way," Io pointed.

"We need to drop by Shin Akiba first," Adam said.

"Why?"

"Bugs," he said, gesturing to his clothes.

Iolanthe arched an eyebrow.

"Never hurts to be careful," he said.

"Fine."

Reaching the console, Io entered the destination and checked her credit chit to see if the funds had transferred properly. The doors opened, and the two took the back seat.

The vehicle lifted off, and headed towards the human trading district.

Upon touching down, Adam was the first to step out, and clear the line of exit for Io. It was ingrained in both of their training. By the time Io had taken a step forward, Adam would've already memorised key structures such as navigational points and potential exits. After Iolanthe's third step, she would've done the same.

She followed him through the walkways, always steering clear of large crowds. She never was a big fan of crowds, sure they were a nice place to hide in, but that only worked when she knew who was hunting her.

But Adam's body language seemed to betray him. His shoulders were absolutely stiff. Every time someone bumped into him, his hand drifted ever close to his hidden sidearm.

The two soon arrived at a department store specifically for humans and asari.

"Meet back here in ten mikes," Iolanthe said.

"Got it."

Both of them parted ways, heading off to find clothes that suited them, and fast.

When the ten minutes ended, Adam was already waiting for her with an outfit that had a blend of utility and smart-casual. It was enough for him to blend anywhere, at the same time; it allowed him to be able to move.

As a woman, Iolanthe didn't have that luxury. She had to add a bit more flare to her style as it were with humanity's fashion sense. But at least the heals she found could be used as weapons.

Quickly, Io paid for the clothes as Adam hung back and covered her six. Whatever secret he was carrying, he was very paranoid about it.

"Have a nice day, ma'am," the clerk smiled.

"You too," Io returned.

The both of them left the department store and headed for the toilets. Iolanthe handed Adam his bag, before entering the women's change rooms.

Two minutes later, the two met back in the foyer. Thanks to the thick base Io had used, Adam's make up wasn't smudged. He was dressed in a long black coat, gloves, and different pair of sunglasses, collared shirt, sturdy shoes and slim pants. With that get up, he looked like a software developer out on break.

Io on the other hand had taken a more corporate path in her attire, whilst retaining an air of casualness. The pair of knee high boots she selected was comfier than she had expected, but then again, she just drained Cerberus of a few hundred credits on this shopping trip alone.

_Timmy's not going to miss a few creds_, she reasoned.

"Did you change everything?" Adam asked.

"Underwear and socks," she confirmed.

"Omni-tool?"

"With me, I'll put it in Anderson's safe when we get there."

"Good."

Another half hour passed as the two of them made their way to the Presidium. Conveniently enough, the Councillor's office was placed in the Alliance Embassy. The building had a few refurbishments with a couple of garden boxes and outdoor eating areas. Inside was the waiting foyer where people from all races waited for their papers to be processed.

Adam seemed to know his way, not needing to stop to ask for directions, or follow her. Upon reaching the doors into the Councillor's Wing, they had to pass through another security test.

Iolanthe cleared the checkpoint, but the moment Adam stepped through, the alarm bells droned. Immediately, the Alliance Marines withdrew their pistols and aimed them at the N7.

"Sir, get on your knees, hands on your head!" a Marine barked.

_Oh shit_, Io groaned inwardly. One hand on Adam and everything could be blown.

"We're here to see Anderson!" she said quickly. "ID challenge is Alpha's Keep."

The Officer looked at her, before tapping something into his Omni-tool. A split second later, a small expression of relief flooded his faces.

"Stand down," he ordered.

Io let out a breath she hadn't realised she had been holding. Barely a day and Adam had given her a heart attack. All in all, she should've expected it.

"Sorry about that, sir," the Officer apologised.

"Don't worry about it," Adam said briskly.

The guards waved them through, ushering them into a narrow corridor. Adam felt jittery than usual. His breathing had quickened, and his fingers were constantly extending and flexing.

"You okay?" she asked, seeing his misty eyes stare aimlessly down the hallway.

"Um, yeah," he said quickly and clearing his throat. "I'm fine."

She heard him drag a breath into his lungs before breathing out slowly.

Io punched in the enter codes into the door, parting them open silently. Anderson was the first to turn around, the look of pure disbelief written all over his face. Adam was frozen where he stood, until the silence was broken.

"Lieutenant Shepard," Councillor Anderson beamed warmly with a cheery laugh. "Aren't you a sight for sore eyes?"

"Good to see you again, sir," Adam smiled.

The two N7s then shook hands with a firm grasp.

Adam turned to Hackett and gave a soft salute. It felt a bit odd, saluting the Admiral. The man had been so informal about it to N7s, Adam in particular. But he didn't want to make any wrong impressions, not right now.

"At ease, Lieutenant," Hackett said with an aged smile.

"Hey Bard," Alenko laughed, slapping Adam's shoulders.

"Good to see you, Kade," he smiled warmly.

"Looks like Shepard saved your sorry ass," Alenko nodded towards her.

"I guess so," Adam agreed.

Io gave Kaidan a quick smile. He hadn't been antagonistic towards her as Williams had been on Horizon. She moved to one of the storage lockers and placed her firearm and Omni-tool inside. Once she stepped away, Adam placed the Predator Pistol on the middle shelf of the locker, before shutting it tight, and turning on its Faraday cage.

The small group sat down at the small lounge, waiting to hear what the long dead Lieutenant had to say.

"What I'm about to tell you, doesn't leave this room," he said gravely.

He rolled up the sleeve of his shirt, revealing the algorithmic pattern on his skin. Kadian's eyes were threatening to break out of his sockets, while the two older gentlemen were left speechless in their seats.

"My last memories were of eighty-six. Not eight-one," he said. "Everything that happened to Iolanthe, happened to me. I became the first human Spectre, chased Saren down, and ordered our fleets to buy time for the Council to evacuate."

Confusion and apprehension were etched into the Councillor's and Admiral's faces. Alenko was a bit better at masking his emotions.

Before anyone could voice any arguments, Adam revealed his proof.

"Anderson, Lieutenant Kahlee Sanders is posted at Grissom Academy as its Director isn't she? She was with you when Saren stabbed you in the back and you also had a run in with Kai Leng, former N-Seven, turned Cerberus. You put a few rounds in his legs so that he could never walk again."

Anderson's eyes widened in shock, even Iolanthe didn't know that about him.

"You've made your point, Lieutenant… or Commander," Hackett said, offering a figurative olive branch.

Adam walked to the display console, and pulled up a galactic map. He entered commands into the console which highlighted key locations. Specifically Eden Prime, Mahavid, Namakli, planet 2181 Desponia in Psi Trophet, the Bahak System's Alpha Relay, and two locations in the Horse Head Nebula.

"Here's the Leviathan of Dis, but that's a Reaper. The real Leviathans are what Doctor Bryson and his daughter are after. They're on planet twenty-one eighty-one."

"How do you know that?" Hackett reacted.

"Because you told me, one year from now," Adam answered. "Bryson got too close to finding the Leviathans, they then assumed control of his assistant and had him killed."

"Leviathans created the Reapers?" Iolanthe asked.

"Not exactly, no," Adam answered. "The Citadel is the Catalyst for the Crucible, a device powerful enough to wipe out synthetic life, control it, or merge synthetic and organic life into hybrids… like me, I'm guessing. This is the cycle when we possess the capabilities to end the harvest and usher in a new age of peace. Plans for the Crucible are in the Mars archives, get Doctor Liara T'Soni to look into them."

"She's busy on Illium, remember?" Iolanthe _reminded_.

It felt weird for her to say that. Her future was still in his past. Or at least that's the case if he's telling the truth.

"Call her; tell her, we'll help her with her situation on Illium later. But the sooner we get these plans, the better."

"If this device can do what you say it does, you're aware of the scales, aren't you Bard?" Kaidan asked.

"I know Kade. We'll need every available resource on this."

"Not possible, if the galaxy isn't at war, nothing is going to happen," Iolanthe argued.

"That's what I'm afraid of," Adam admitted, rubbing his forehead. "The sooner we get this done, the fewer casualties we'll get. The Reapers will sweep through the Hegemony first. There's nothing we can do for them, unfortunately."

"What do you mean?" Io asked, dreading the implications.

"They've pulled back their embassies; anything in the Hegemony space is virtually unknown."

"The Leviathan of Dis," Adam said. "They got all their best minds to study it so that they could use Reaper tech against us. Didn't work out so well. Reapers swept through them. Since their best minds and brass were indoctrinated, the entire Hegemony space fell within weeks, days even. Then they surpassed the Alliance defences and headed straight for Earth. We lose her in an hour. In one hour, we suffer the worst defeat in our history."

"Jesus Christ," Hackett muttered.

"But the scales of this device, Shepard," Alenko reminded.

"Start building it asap. Get every available fleet and reserve; put them on communications black out."

"That's unrealistic, Lieutenant," Anderson said. "We'll also need the entire Galaxy to help us with this."

"Regardless we start as soon as we can," Adam hardlined. "But I know where we can get the support we need."

Adam pulled up a map of Eden Prime.

"Go to Ackerton, number four on Waverly Street. Get seismic teams and mining teams there to extract a pod. It contains a living Prothean named Javik."

"What?"

"Lead with that first, next time, okay?" Io suggested.

"I can convince Javik, he can read my memories, and he'll be able to convince the Council."

"What if they don't listen?" Io asked.

"Sparatus is our main opposition, his successor is much more open to support and unification to fight the Reapers," Adam said carefully.

"You're not suggesting…" Hackett warned.

"Only if we can't avoid it," Adam rebutted. "And tell Doctor Amanda Kenson to fire that asteroid at the Alpha Relay immediately. That'll buy us another six months to prepare."

Hackett was caught off guard again.

"Is she still reporting in?"

"Yes."

"Did she say she found evidence of the Reapers?" Adam pressed.

Hackett nodded.

The N7 leaned against the wall and muttered a curse.

"It's too late for her and her team now," he said. "They're indoctrinated."

"How can you be so sure?" Hackett asked.

There was an unsaid message in those words, but everyone knew it. Adam was asking for a lot, too much some would even say. Io wondered if everyone in this room knew that she had found him on a Collector ship.

"Get a team to investigate, if there is any Reaper tech out in the open, that's our proof."

"We can't just kill them all," Kaidan argued.

"Subdue and evac," Adam said. "We can't risk an indoctrinated."

"How about the three of us go there?" Iolanthe suggested. "We'll go into the system, and find this base."

All eyes looked at her as she leaned forward.

"Then what?" Hackett asked.

"Admiral, I know she's your friend," Adam began. "But that's what the Reapers makes us do, fight friends."

The irony was not missed on anyone.

"You know I can't sanction this," Hackett said.

"A few months from now, we'll have the Collector Homeworld destroyed… and Kenson, she and her entire team will be indoctrinated."

Iolanthe watched the heated argument and morality unfold in front of her. If there was any doubt that he was mad, they were long gone by now. No, he was ruthless. But that's what war drove people to. If everything he said was true, just yesterday, he was fighting the Reapers. Things like that don't leave a person so quickly.

"Alright, we'll look into those things. But if you're wrong about the Bahak systems," Hackett said gravely. "We'll be shovelling shit for the next century."

"The longer we wait, the more we expose that team to Reaper indoctrination," Adam explained. "Order her team to fire the asteroid. If they don't do it within the hour, you storm the base, kill everyone in sight, and then fire that at the alpha relay."

"You're starting to sound like Cerberus," Kaidan muttered.

"Numbers are all that counts in this war," Adam said.

"You say that then we're no better than machines," Io argued.

"A nice sentiment," Adam agreed. "But war isn't about being nice or fair. You stoop to the lowest level, and do what it takes to win. When it's over, then you can start condemning your leaders."

An uncomfortable silence entered the room.

"You'll need to go see your family, Adam," Anderson said, saying the man's first name for the first time.

Adam sighed, nodding lightly.

"Hackett, one other thing, there's a joint science team that Bryson sent out."

"I know the one," the Admiral said, referring to the location.

"Send a large team in there. That facility has been compromised by the Leviathans. Go in, neutralise anything that's a globe and turquoise. Do that and you'll free the scientists."

"I'll delegate a team to it, and get our braniacs on Mars to look into the Crucible."

"Good."

The talks ended with Admiral Hackett reinstating Lieutenant Shepard, and transferring Captain Alenko to go on "indefinite leave with pay". Another N7 Team was mentioned to be on standby, and meet at a predetermined system before finding Doctor Kenson.

Iolanthe didn't like what she was getting into, but that was war.

**XXxxXX**

_**Codex Entry: N7 Honour Tagging**_

_Honour tagging is a practice within the N7 Community predominantly done by Earthborn operatives. Depending on the operative's personality and heritage, they will receive an unofficial badge that reflects the most prominent Special Forces before the founding of the Alliance._

_Though details have been sketchy at best because of the N7s' secrecy, the following is what is known so far. (Note that this cannot be fully confirmed)_

_**OGA**__; "Other Government Agency" is a term used for any member from an outside organisation that provides intelligence support.  
__**Delta**__; For N7 Operatives that have a long standing history in (or suited to) counter-terrorism and direct action missions such as hostage rescue operations.  
__**SEAL **__or __**DEVGRU **__or__** SEAL Team Six**__; used for operatives who specialise in jungle warfare and harassment tactics, as well as having an affinity for operating in maritime environments.  
__**UDT**__; Similar prerequisites as SEAL, but generally used for operatives from South Korea.  
__**KSK**__; Generally reserved for N7 Operatives who hail from Germany, the badge is also given to operatives who have unparalleled precision.  
__**FSK;**__ Usually these operatives originate from Norway, they are also considered to be among the best artic warfighters and defenders of strategic emplacements such as gas mines.  
__**SAS**__; Backed by a powerful tradition and ethos, N7s who hold badge are considered to be flexible and adaptive fighters – most of the Earthborns who are considered SAS hail from Great Britain. They are known for their lightning raids, and have been instrumental in the fight against pirates.  
__**SASR**__; N7 Operatives who hold the SASR badges are considered to have a light-hearted demeanour with a twisted sense of humour. These men and women specialise in reconnaissance. A large number of these operatives come from Australia.  
__**JTF2**__;"Joint Task Force 2", operatives given this badge are renowned for artic warfare, and generally hail from Canada.  
__**GROM**__; This badge is bestowed upon operatives who are renowned for their tenacity and endurance, as well as friendliness. Though unconfirmed, a large portion are believed to be Vanguards or Adepts – it is not recommended to go against GROM in a drinking competition.  
__**Spetsnaz**__; Operatives who carry this badge are known to have a perchance for unconventional psychological tactics that can be seen as downright insane. These N7s are fearless and aggressive fighters. Though unconfirmed, it is believed that operatives who carry the Spetsnaz badge, also carry a sharpened shovel which they use as both melee and missile weapon. A larger number of holders of this badge are from Russia or have a Russian heritage.  
__**SOG**__: Reserved for quiet operatives who are adaptive and flexible, a large number of them who hold this badge come from Sweden._

_Note that honour tagging does draw from comedic and/or championed stereotypes._

_Addendum; the early counterparts to the N7s refer to themselves as operators and not operatives._

**XXxxXX**

**A/N: I know what you're thinking… Cerberus… well here's the thing… when Shepard goes to the Citadel during ME2, why wasn't he/she arrested for flying the Cerberus banner? I mean, if you're labelled a terrorist organisation, you'd need a benign front as a cover.**

**Anyway, many thanks to Lady Pryde for beta and consultation work.**

**Please leave a review and tell me what you think.**

**Next chapter will be focusing on the Arrival DLC.**


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